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Charlesworth exit ends glorious hockey era

Ian McCullough

After orchestrating the Kookaburras' Hockey World Cup defence, Ric Charlesworth decided there was nothing more to achieve in a glittering coaching career.

The 62-year-old West Australian was due to stand down after the Commonwealth Games in August but, after witnessing his side destroy hosts the Netherlands 6-1 in Saturday's final, his mind was made up to walk away.

"Last Sunday's World Cup final is the best full stop I could wish for in my coaching career," said Charlesworth.

"I believe it would be indulgent for me to go to the Commonwealth Games."

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His exit brings down the curtain on a brilliant career in which he won five World Cups as a player and coach and two Olympic golds.

Not content with winning three Sheffield Shields with the powerful WA cricket side of the mid-1970s, he also qualified as a doctor of medicine and spent a decade serving as a Labor Federal member.

But it's on the hockey field where Charlesworth achieved his finest results, first as skipper of the Kookaburras' side who won a first World Cup in 1986, 10 years after being a member of the side that claimed silver at the Montreal Olympics.

As a coach, his record is unparalleled with the Hockeyroos winning successive Olympic golds in 1996 and 2000, two World Cups, four Champions Trophies and Commonwealth gold under his leadership.

A stint working as an adviser to Indian and New Zealand hockey preceded his appointment as Kookaburras boss in 2009 where he oversaw a sustained run of success.

In a golden 2010, the team retained the Champions Trophy, won a second World Cup and claimed Commonwealth gold.

But despite red-hot favouritism in London 2012, they were shocked to lose to eventual winners Germany in the semi-final and had to settle for bronze.

Charlesworth said the prospect of having to spend more time away from his family was the final straw in his decision to walk away before the team flies out for Glasgow next month.

"I have thought about it a lot. The high point of my year was the World Cup," he said.

"The team will be moving on and it's my personal decision - I don't want to be packing up and away for another three weeks."

Hockey Australia chief executive Cam Vale said an announcement on the coaching structure at the Games would be made in the next few days.

Graham Read, Charlesworth's assistant coach, is likely to be a contender with former Olympians Colin Batch and Mark Hager, who's the current coach of the New Zealand women's side, also set to be in the mix.

"Ric told me of his intentions after Sunday's final," said Vale.

"While I was initially disappointed, his reasoning makes sense and I accepted his decision.

"He has worked tirelessly towards the World Cup goal and deserves the respect of the hockey community to choose this early departure.

"There is a strong belief in our men's high performance program that oversaw such a dominant World Cup performance and I have full confidence in the staff and athletes that we can manage an interim solution towards our very important goal of Commonwealth Games success in Glasgow."